Rich nations to get richer: World Bank raises forecast to 3.2% growth

The world economy has reached a turning point five years after the global financial crisis hit. The World Bank expects growth to pick up in 2014 led by the US, Europe, and Japan, and warns of ‘turbulence’ from a slowing China as well as US tapering.

Overall, the Washington-based organization sees the world economy
expanding 3.2 percent in 2014, in their first report of the year,
‘Global Economic Prospects’, a bi-annual publication
published Tuesday.

The Bank has bumped up expectations for "high-income countries",
which they say will grow 2.2 percent in 2014, up from 1.5 percent
in 2013.

“This strengthening of output among high-income countries
marks a significant shift from recent years when developing
countries alone pulled the global economy forward,” the
report said.

A growth pick up will be supported by the US, which has shown
strong signs of recovery and the 18-member euro currency zone,
which dragged down other economies in 2013 on weak consumer
demand and imports. Increased import demand should help
compensate for more US tapering measures, which could deliver a
big
blow to emerging markets.

Developing markets are vulnerable to risk both from China and US
tapering,
and commodities will continue to be sensitive to both factors.

The US began its tapering program in December which reduced its
bond-buying stimulus to $75 billion-per-month, a measure which
has helped stabilize financial markets after the 2008-2009
crisis. Further scale-back under the new Fed chair could have a
negative
spillover effect in emerging markets, but the World Bank
believes strong growth will counter and normalize such market
shocks.

China’s economic growth, which dropped below 8 percent for the
first time in 20 years, will continue to slow. GDP is estimate to
remain ‘flat’ at 7.7 percent, and then decrease to 7.5 percent in
2015 and 2016. Growth in the world’s second-largest economy has
been lackluster
because it is shift into a more sustainable consumption-based,
instead of an export-led economy, which led to sensational growth
in the 90s.

Russia’s economic growth is set to accelerate to 2.5 percent this
year from 1.4 percent in 2013, according the government. The
World Bank optimistically forecasts growth at 2.2 percent in
2014, 2.7 percent in 2015, and 3.0 percent in 2016.

Projections for BRICS countries were cut. Brazil’s growth
forecast was cut to 2.4 percent from 4 percent, for Mexico to 3.4
percent from 3.9 percent and for India to 6.2 percent from 6.5
percent.

Developing countries will accelerate ‘modestly’ between 2013 and
2016, but “the slower growth is not cause for concern” the report
said.

World Bank forecasts are routinely cut and modified throughout
the year, and the report will serve as a foundation for further
analysis throughout 2014.